The Value of Native Plants and Local Production in an Era of Global Agriculture.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review and expert commentary without systematic search methodology
PubMed 29259614 · doi:10.3389/fpls.2017.02069
What was done
This narrative review and synthesis examined the potential for incorporating local native edible plant species into agriculture to improve food diversity and resilience against global change. The authors analyzed the ecological and economic trade-offs of globalized monoculture versus crop diversification, evaluated barriers to using local plants, and analyzed a case study of commercial pine nut production in the Western United States.
What was found
The abstract reports contextual estimates: humans cultivate approximately 150 of an estimated 30,000 edible plant species, with 30 species providing the vast majority of human diets. It notes that approximately 1 billion people experience insufficient nutrition while 2 billion are overweight or obese. No empirical experimental numbers or quantitative effect estimates from primary trials are reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
Global reliance on a narrow set of crops increases vulnerability to climate, biotic, and abiotic stressors. Integrating native edible species could improve regional ecological adaptability and food system resilience.
Limits
The paper is a narrative review and perspective rather than a systematic review or empirical study. The abstract provides no primary quantitative data on crop yields, economic viability, or nutritional outcomes of specific native plant cultivation systems.
Cited by
- partial There are approximately 30,000 edible food species, yet humans derive 90% of their caloric intake from fewer than eight foods.